The House Democratic Caucus approaches each legislative session with the mission to increase economic security, educational opportunity and shared responsibility for Georgians. Our 2014 legislative agenda will continue to push for common-sense solutions that are straightforward and can change the lives of families.
In 2013, several of our ideas either passed on their own or were incorporated into other bills, including the successful change to the HOPE grant for technical colleges and the return of more local control to rural areas to support tourism.
In 2014, we will highlight making technical college more affordable, protecting taxpayer investment, helping the unemployed get back on their feet and fixing government so it works for everyone, from the ballot box to the Capitol.
Economic security demands that we give working families the tools to rebuild their lives. With the Self-Employment Act, we will ask the state to allow those who receive unemployment benefits to start new businesses without immediately losing support. Entrepreneurs transitioning from unemployment to job creation will be required to meet high criteria and learn how to start their companies. Several other states have done the same; Georgia should join them.
The Taxpayer Empowerment Agenda, a non-partisan demand for transparency and accountability, targets how the government spends money to outsource jobs. Among these initiatives, we will seek to expand open records and meetings obligations to require any company being paid with tax dollars to be subject to the same rules as the governmental entity they replace, and to require cost savings before we pay more for less service.
Educational opportunity must be available for every child and every person seeking a better path forward. Rep. Stacey Evans has led our charge to support technical college students. This year, we will ask the General Assembly to recognize how critical the HOPE grant is to students by giving full tuition coverage. Also, we will continue to seek laws to protect our most vulnerable children from the dangers of cyberbullying, protections that must extend beyond campuses.
Shared responsibility means government must work for everyone, beginning with fundamental voting rights. As part of a national objective to make democracy more accessible, we are asking Georgia to adopt Permanent Portable Registration and Online Voter Registration.
With Permanent Portable Registration, as long as you are a Georgia voter who has proven both identification and citizenship, there is no reason that moving from Gwinnett County to Newton should disqualify you from voting in local elections. States across the country have solved this problem, and Georgia should be on the list. Likewise, areas as conservative as Maricopa County, Ariz., have allowed online voter registration.
The House Democratic Caucus believes we should cooperate where we can, compete where we should and always hold public officials accountable. If we can do that, Georgia will be a better place.
Stacey Y. Abrams, D-Atlanta, is House Minority Leader for the Georgia Legislature.
